Police are asked to investigate the selling of Latvian children to foreigners

Publication date: 7 May 2014

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May 7, 2014

Baltic news, News from Latvia, BNN.LV, BNN-NEWS.COM, BNN-NEWS.RUWelfare Ministry has turned to the police, asking to investigate information that was recently picked up by mass media about foreigners paying large amounts of money to adopt Latvian children, as admitted by WM Child and Family Policy Department representative Ivita Krasti?a.

In her interview to Latvijas Radio, Krasti?a said child adoption does not bring the state budget any additional funds. Latvian parents who adopt children receive a one-time benefit of EUR 1,422. Foreign parents do not receive benefits of any kind.

‘Child adoption is free of charge. Child adoption does not cost anything,’ – says Krasti?a.

She says WM is in the process of checking all information regarding possible illegal activities. This includes checking the information that was recently published in Diena newspaper: adoption of a girl from Latvia allegedly cost her new foreign parents $30,000. WM asks law enforcement authorities to investigate such cases and determine whether or not there was some violation.

Krasti?a also said that there were 213 children adopted in Latvia last year. 134 children were adopted by foreigners. She explains there are restrictions on adoption opportunities for foreigners. These restrictions allow the approval of adoption cases from foreigners only if they express wish to adopt three or more children, children older than 9 and children with serious health problems.

Krasti?a admits that children under the age of three are adopted the most often in Latvia. Foreigners adopt brothers, sisters and teenagers more often than others.

Ref: 102.109.109.4442

Countries: Latvia